Scoping and Prioritizing What a Streaming Video Service Must Offer Viewers

You are a product manager defining an app that lets people stream video. Identify the features that matter most, explain why each one matters to viewers, and indicate which you consider essential and which are nice to have. ```hint Follow one viewer's week Rather than listing features from memory, trace what a viewer does from first opening the app to coming back a few days later, and ask what must work well at each step. Then sort what you found into must-haves and differentiators. ``` ### Clarifying Questions - Is the app built around an on-demand library of films and series, live channels and sports, or both? - How is it paid for: a subscription, a free ad-supported service, or renting and buying single titles? The answer changes how much sign-up, paywall and ad features matter. - Which screens are in scope at launch: phones only, or also smart TVs, streaming sticks and web browsers? - Are we designing a new app entering the market, or reviewing an existing service for missing features? ### What a Strong Answer Covers - A stated goal and a target viewer group that decide which features count as key. - Features organized around the viewer journey: getting started, finding something to watch, deciding, watching, and returning. - The playback qualities viewers feel without seeing them, such as fast starts, quality that adapts to the connection, resuming across devices, and offline viewing that respects content rights. - A reasoned split between launch essentials and later differentiators. - Metrics that show whether the feature set works, and risks such as licensing limits, accessibility and device coverage. ### Follow-up Questions - If you could launch with only five features, which would they be and why? - How would the feature list change for a free ad-supported tier compared with a paid subscription? - How would you tell whether personalized recommendations, rather than search, are helping viewers find something to watch?